Wind-wheel



. W. G. BRAMWELL.

WIND WHEEL.

.N0..543,461. Patented July 30,1895.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE.

YVILLIAM C. BRAMWELL, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

WIND-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 543,461, dated July 30, 1895. V

Application filed June 28,1894. Serial No. 515,948. (ND model.)

Be it knownthat I, WILLIAM G. BRAMWELL,

' of Hyde Park, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusettshave invented an Improvement in \Vind-VVheels, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a wind-wheel wherein the windblades form a structural part thereof, the

said blades being arranged tangentially. to

the hub and secured thereto and to the rim 1 in such manner that the strength of the wheel is increasedwithout additional weight. As will be hereinafter shown, the windwheel embodying my invention is similar in its structural character to what is'known as the tangent bicycle-wheel, the wind-blades herein taking the place of and having the structural functions of the spokes of such bicycle-wheels. 1

The wind-wheel is a tension-wheel, the hub v and rim being connected by the wind-blades ping, but sufficient to make them under tension, such tension being notonly more than enough to prevent them from flapa structural part of the wheel.-

My invention consists in a wind-wheel, of a hub, a rim,a series of holders thereon having oppositely-projecting arms, and a series of wind-blades connected tangentially to the hub at their inner ends, and at their outer ends to the arms of the holders, substantially as will be described.

Other features 'of my invention will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sufficient portion of a wind-wheel to be understood, my invention being embodied therein. Fig. 2 is an edge View thereof, a portion of the windblades and wind-pressure braces being omitted. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view,partly broken out, of a part of the rim, showing the bladeholders. Fig. 4. is a front elevation of one of the wind-blades preparatory to being bent. Figs. 5 and 5*a1'e details to be described, and Fig. 6 is a-modified form of connection between the blade and rim. 7

Referring to the drawings, I have herein shown the wind-wheel as comprising a hub blade-holders, to be described, have been placed thereon, and a series of wind-blades C;

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the rim B has thereon a series of metallic blade-holders, either cast or drop-forged, and consisting each of a hub 19 and projecting arms I) b the said arms projecting from opposite sides of the hub andat an angle to the plane of the rim corresponding to the wind. angle of the blades, so that the arms are set at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the hub. The armshave openings therethrough, as b at their outer A; a rim B, preferably a steel tube joined at its ends to form a continuous circle after the ends to receive the connections, to be deover on the dotted line 2, Fig'. 4, and about the head d of an internally-threaded shank d, the said shank being passed through the hole or slot 0, after which the main and the turned-over portion of the blade are riveted together, as at 0, thereby inclosing the head 01, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 5 The outer end of the blade is bent over a rod e and riveted to the main part of the blade at 1", after which the rod 6 is removed and eyebolts 6, are passed through the slots 0 in the end of the blade, the eyes 6 entering the said slots at right angles to the plane of the blade, as shown in ,Fig. 5, after which the rod 6 is replaced,it passing through the eyes 6 of the bolts and retainingthem in place' The hub A of the wheel is herein shown as extended in the direction of its longitudinal axis, and it is provided at one end with a flange a, preferably having hook-like teeth a formed on its periphery, as clearly shown in Fig. 1,the other end of the hub having acup Shaped enlargement a thereon (see Figs. 1 and 2) provided with openings a ,for a purpose to be described. I I

To attach the blades 0 to the holders the shank of one of the eyebolts e, at its outer end, is passed through the opening b of one of the arms,,as W, of a holder, the other eyebolt being preferably passed through the ppositely-extended arm, as b, of the next adjacent holder, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 to 23, inclusive, so that the blade is straddled, as

t it were, from one to the next holder and crossing the plane of the rim at the proper wind angle, and, as shown in the first three figures of the drawings, the direction of rotation of the wheel would be that of the arrow 20, Fig. 1. ['he eyebolts e are held in place on the arms of the holders by nuts n, their threaded shanks projecting through the arms of the'holders, and check-nuts n prevent any loosening of the connections between the holders and blades by reason of vibration of the parts. This manner of securing the blades to the rim combines great strength and rigidity with lightness, as there is a substantially continuous connection between all the blades and holders around the rim.

The inner ends of the blades 0 are connected to the hub, the eyebolts cl' screwed into the shanks dof the heads 01 and having their eyes d hooked over the teeth a, of the flange a in such manner that the blades are tangential to the hub, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

In setting up the wheel, the blades are positioned as described, and the nuts n are tightened slightly all around the rim until the wheel is true, and the blades subjected to the proper amount of tension, after which the check-nuts n are tightened to hold the parts, securely in place. It will be observed that the blades are thus made a structural part of the wind-wheel, and that they are under tension supporting the hub from the rim, and their connection with the hub is tangential or I other than radial.

A series of lateral wind-pressure braces f are shown as mounted at one end and extended through the openings 0. in the cupshaped' portion a of the hub, wherein they are held in place by suitable nuts m, the outer ends of the pressure-braces being suit-ably secured to the rim. As herein shown, the ends are twisted around the rim and then upon themselves, as at f, and the braces are subjected to the proper tension by tightening the nut on within the portion a of the hub, suitable check-nutsm retaining them as adj nsted.

It is obvious that instead of twisting the braces around the rim, as shown, they could be secured to the rim in other ways, and while I have shown said braces as radial to the hub they could be made tangential thereto, if desired. It is also obvious that instead of eral or wind braces f, but it is to be under-' stood that the blades could be located in front rather than behind the wind-braces.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 I have shown the outer end of the blade 0' as attached to a single holder, the arms g and g thereon projecting in opposite directions similar to the holders shown in Figs. 1 to 3; but

in this instance the tangential angle of the blades would not be reversed, and the direction of rotation of the wheel would be that of the arrow 30, Fig. 6. By reversing the holders, however, so that the arms 9 and g would be on opposite sides of the plane of the rim from that shown in Fig 6, the blades would have the same wind and tangential angles, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. 7

So far as I am aware it is broadly new to connect the hub and rim of a wind-wheel by a series of blades under tension and connected tangentially to the hub at their inner ends, and at their outer ends to oppositely-projecting arms of holders on the rim; and my invention is not, therefore, restricted to the exact construction and arrangement as herein shown, as the same may be modified in various particulars without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

I claim- 1 1. In a wind wheel, a hub, a rim, a series of holders thereon having oppositely projecting arms, and a series of wind blades connected tangentially to the hub at their inner ends,

and at their outer ends to the arms of the holders, substantially as described.

2. In a wind wheel, a hub, a rim, a series of holders thereon having oppositely projecting arms, a series of wind blades connected tangentially to the hub at their inner ends, and at their outer ends to the arms of the holders, and 'means to stretchor tighten the said wind blades, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM C. BRAMWELL.

Witnesses:

GEORGE SANFORD, HENRY B.TERRY.

IIO 

